Lillian's Folly
by fozrulz
Summary: This is an AU story in the True universe started by Wolfpyre and Ashleyder. With their permission I have borrowed their characters. You probably need to read their stories first, if this one is going to make sense. Warning: There may be spankings in some chapters - if you don't like then don't read.
1. Chapter 1

_**Lillian's Folly – Chapter 1**_

**AN: This is a story from the True universe started by Wolfpyre and Ashleyder1. I have permission from both of them to use their characters True and Rhianna. I wasn't going to write this story but Ashleyder encouraged me to go ahead – so here it goes.**

**I also used a mixture Cherokee and Welsh words – I had trouble finding all Cherokee translations – so if you'll just indulge me.**

True was sitting in a tree by herself. For once, she wasn't in trouble. It was the summer, school was out. She was lonely. Rhianna was off working at the clinic for Nathan. Creed was off on a hunting trip with his pa. True was bored. A bored True was never good. Her mind drifted to the workhouse she landed in when she first came to this time. She only spent a few weeks there before she escaped and landed here with this family, such as it is. She thought of the various children and wondered where they had landed over the year she had been here. She remembered a little carrot topped girl, Lillian. True had shortened her name to Lily. Every older child at the workhouse had a younger child to take care of. True's was Lily. When True met Lily she was only 4. She would be 5 by now. True knew she was from a different time, probably from the same time as True and Rhianna. She really hadn't had a chance to figure out exactly where Lily was from. Lily never spoke, but she had a clan marking, only it wasn't a clan marking she recognized. Funny, True had been so hell bent on getting away that she hadn't even thought of Lily in all this time. True felt a little guilty, she probably should have tried to take Lily with her, but True had been afraid that Lily would slow her down. She remembered that red haired little girl standing with her thumb in her mouth, holding some kind of stuffed something in dirty raggedy clothes.

True was lost in her own mind when she suddenly heard, "What are you doing up there?" True startled, she almost fell out of the tree. She looked down and saw her cousin. "What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" sneered True. She hated that Rhianna was able to sneak up on her without her knowing it.

"Well, your surely in a foul mood," noted Rhianna.

"Well yeah, if you had someone sneakin' up on ya, ya'd be pissy too," shot back True.

Rhianna gazed at her cousin skeptically. "I wasn't doing anything but coming to find you. Vin was looking for you."

"Shit, what does he want, now?" fumed True.

"I don't know." Shrugged Rhianna. "He said something about stalls and horses."

"Aw shit, I forgot." True muttered.

"Well, I would get to it if I were you. He looked none too pleased." Rhianna shielding her eyes from the sun and looking up into the tree.

"Heh, afore we do that, wanna go swimmin'?" asked True.

Rhianna shook her head, "Really? Vin won't be happy."

True scoffed, "Aw, he'll never know and we'll be back and I'll get my chores done all before he knows. He's headed out to the reservation, he won't be back until tomorrow."

Rhianna grinned, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

True grinned and hopped out of the tree. "Heh, did I ever tell you about Lily?" True asked her cousin.

Rhianna shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Who's Lily?"

"She was a girl from the workhouse." True continued.

"Rhianna stopped walking and placed her hand on True's arm. She looked into her cousin's eyes and saw something, she wasn't sure, sadness, something. "What about her?"

"I shoulda takin' her with me when I left." True stated resolutely.

"Why?"

"I dunno. She was little. Like 4 or somethin'. She wasn't from this time. I'm not sure if she was from ours. I don't know. She jus' didn't belong, ya know?" True asked.

Rhianna sighed. She wasn't sure she liked where this was going. She knew True well enough to know that this was definitely leading up to something. "What made you think about her after all this time?"

True shrugged her shoulders, "I dunno. But I need to find her." Little did True know, Lily was in her mind begging True to find her.

Rhianna sighed again. How in the world were they going to find this little girl. When True got something stuck in her mind, she wouldn't let go of the idea until it was played out. She was sure to get dragged into it. Rhianna decided not to worry for now, they were just about at the water hole. She shucked her dress and started toward the water.

"You're goin' in, in your drawers?" snickered True.

"Well, contrary to your ruffian existence, I'm not about to swim buck naked in the watering hole. Anybody could walk up." She huffed.

True snickered again. "You're such a freakin' sissy. Who the hell's all the way out here? Ain't no one here but you and me." True scoffed as she stripped. "Ain't like you got anythin' to show any how," she teased.

"Imshee!" Rhianna hissed as she followed True into the water.

The girls dove in. They swam and splashed and played. Rhianna figured they had been swimming at least an hour. "Come on, we better get back before Chris comes looking for me and you still have to do your chores." Rhianna motioned True out of the water.

"I ain't ready to git out yet," True replied as she ducked under the water and swam away from Rhianna.

Rhianna huffed. "Come on True, if we don't get back soon, someone is going to come looking for us."

"Oh come on, it ain't like we was told we couldn't go swimmin'." True yelled from her spot in the watering hole.

"It aint't like you had permission either," a deep voice said.

"Oh shit!" thought True.

"Oh shit, indeed," thought Rhianna as she turned around to see her guardian standing there with his arms across his chest glaring at her.

Rhianna stepped slowly out of the water and looked at her guardian. "Chris, you never said I couldn't go swimming."

Chris eyed her. "I never said you could. Didn't Vin send you out here to find True?" he asked.

"Well, yes, but.." Rhianna started.

"Get dressed." Chris interrupted.

"Chris…"

"NOW!"

Rhianna turned and hurried to obey. She didn't think Chris was really that mad at her, she didn't actually disobey him or Vin, she just took her sweet time doing what she was asked. She knew that she better just get to it to avoid any further consequences. Immediate obedience and lots of 'yes sir's' usually worked.

Chris turned to the other wayward little girl in the watering hole. "True Tanner, you best get your behind out of that water."

True looked up at Chris and was wondering how she could talk herself out of this one. "I ain't got nothin' on. I cain't get out with you standin' there."

"You ain't got nothing I ain't seen before little girl, get out NOW!" he growled.

True's mouth kicked in before her head, "I ain't doin' it. You gotta leave first."

Rhianna gasped. What in the world was her little cousin thinking?

Chris rubbed his forehead, he was so glad True was normally Vin's problem. "Little girl, if I have to come in and get you, you are going to be mighty sorry."

True's bottom lip puffed out in pout.

"Get out now!" shouted Chris.

True jumped. "Ok, ok, don't get your britches in a knot," she muttered. She didn't think Chris heard that comment. After a hard swat to her naked behind, she realized he had.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" she said angrily rubbing her bottom.

"Get dressed or that swat's gonna be a warm-up." Chris growled.

Wisely True didn't say anything else. She just dressed as quickly as she could.

Chris surveyed the girls, "Ya'll both get back to town and get your chores done."

All the way back to town, True couldn't get her mind off of Lily. It's as if someone was pushing on her head. It started to hurt. True was getting more and more frustrated. "Damn it Rhianna, get the hell out of my head." True hissed to her cousin.

"I'm not in your head." Rhianna said giving True a shocked look.

"Bullshit, I can feel you pushing." True hissed again.

Chris eyed the whispering girls. "There a problem?" asked Chris.

"No, sir!" they said in unison.

As they reached town, True gave her cousin a hard push that sent her sprawling in the dirt. True laughed, "Cain't walk on your own two feet, huh?"

Rhianna glared at True. "I..am..not..in..your..head!" she seethed. As she picked herself up off the ground and dusted off her dress. Since her underclothes were wet, she was just making herself a mud covered mess.

True laughed. Chris turned around to see his "daughter", at least that's how he viewed her, a med covered mess and her cousin laughing. "What's goin' on?" he barked.

"Nothing." Rhianna said, "I just tripped. I would like to go to the bath house," she said as she turned and starting walking toward the bath house. She would settle up with True later.

"Rhianna?" Chris questioned sternly.

Rhianna sighed as she turned around, she was dirty, she was annoyed and Chris sounded mad, she just didn't want to deal with it. Knowing that she was walking a fine line, she turned to her "father", "Yes, sir?"

"Bath house, chores, and boarding house."

"Yes sir." She said resolutely as she resumed her walk toward the bath house.

True snickered and started to walk toward the stable. She was hoping to escape Chris' notice before he realized she had left.

"True?" he asked, a warning in his voice.

"Yeah?" she said as she turned toward him.

"Yeah?" he asked as he crooked a finger and motioned him toward her.

True swallowed, she knew Chris was on his last bit of patience, "Yes, sir?"

"Stable, bath house and then your room."

"Aww, Chris…" she started to whine.

"You need help obeyin' me?" asked Chris.

"Uh uh, no, sir," she said backing away from Chris, "I got it."

Chris smiled at her fleeting form headed toward the stable. "Those two are going to kill me," he thought.

As True walked toward the stable, the pain in her head was increasing. She just heard the words "Help Lily," being chanted in her head over and over again. She dragged herself to her horse's stall. She leaned on her horse, and petted his nose. Vin had given her a horse and she had named him "Wind", only in the language of the people, Gaoith, she called him Gao for short. She cleaned up his stall after a few moments of rubbing his nose. All she wanted to do was get a bath and go lay down, her head was killing her.

By the time she got to her room, tears were streaming down her face. She hated having someone in her head. It was driving her crazy. She thought maybe she was going crazy because of the guilt of leaving Lily behind. She wanted Vin. He would hold her and tell her that everything would be alright.

Rhianna walked by True's room and heard True crying. As mad as she was at True for pushing her in the dirt, she didn't want her cousin to be upset to the point she was crying. She pushed open the door softly, "Ennolid?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"I shouldn't have left Lily." True sobbed.

Rhianna raced to her cousin's side. "Why is this Lily all the sudden so important to you? Why are you so upset?" Rhianna asked as she cradled True in her arms.

"I dunno." True sniffed. "I can't get her out of my head. I jus' keep hearin' 'Save Lily' 'Save Lily.' Over and over again."

Rhianna sighed. "Ennolid, I promise, I'm not in your head. I don't even know Lily."

True looked at her cousin, "Well if it ain't you? Who is it?"

Rhianna thought for a few minutes. She started slowly. Way in the back of her mind, a memory was trying to rise to the surface, but she couldn't catch it just yet. "Tell me about her, tell me everything you remember."

True's sobs had calmed down to slow hitching breaths. "Well, she came to the workhouse a few days after me. You know every kid had a littler kid to take care of. They gave me Lily. She was maybe three or four. I don't know cuz she never talked."

Rhianna nodded her head, encouraging her cousin to continue. "Didn't you say you thought she wasn't from this time, but maybe our time."

"Yeah, but it don't make sense," said True. "Why would they send her here? I 'm here, cuz I got caught. But she's just a baby, she didn't have no markings for being caught. Besides even the clan doesn't send 'em out that young. You're here because you're lookin' for me." True was shaking her head in disbelief.

Rhianna was starting to get a funny feeling in her stomach. She needed more details. "True, why do you think she was from our time?"

True took a deep breath, "Cuz she had a belly button ring and a clan marking. Only I ain't ever seen a marking like that, it was different."

"Different, how?" Rhianna pressed.

"You know how ours just goes around our ring?" True started.

Rhianna just nodded her head.

"Hers was a ring around her belly button, but it went all the way up to here." True pointed to the place between her breasts or where her breasts would be if she had any.

Rhianna took a breath, "Did it have a pattern like ours?"

"Yeah, it was like thorns in the circle and then single like up to a bird. It must of hurt like a son-of-a-bitch when she got tattooed. I mean she was just a baby Rhianna, even the clan doesn't tattoo until we're six."

Rhianna searched her memory, it was so familiar, yet she couldn't quite grasp the memory. Then it clicked! "True, did she have red hair and green eyes?"

True looked at her cousin curiously. "Yeah, how'd ya know?"

"I think she's ' ion.'"

"What?" asked True. "What the hell's that?"

"Pure, she's pure, she's one of the First Ones, one of the original clans."

"What?" scoffed True. "There ain't been any of those forever. How'd she get here?"

"Well, I don't think she's from our time. I think she's from the time of the First One's. Her clan, Sabhac died out a long time before we were even born."

"Seabhac clan, she's from the Hawk clan? They've been dead forever." True looked at Rhianna with disbelief.

"I know, but what if the Observers sent her here for a reason during her time. If our time can go back in time, maybe the First Ones could to."

"I thought that was invented in our time?"

"Don't believe everything you hear." Rhianna said.

"Why would they send a baby like that? I'm mean what could she possibly have done to get sent here."

"I don't know," said Rhianna shaking her head. "I can't imagine how someone so young could get sent here."

"Think maybe she got her by accident, like she got into the transporter by accident?" asked True.

"I don't know if by accident or someone sent her here on purpose." Rhianna said grimly.

"On purpose?" True said incredulously. "Why would someone said a baby like that on purpose?"

"Well, maybe to protect her or protect someone else. You know the story goes with the Seabhac, they could transport themselves and others, like a hawk flying in the wind. I've also heard stories that they all had many gifts, not just one and the royal family had the gift of teleporting as well as mind control. That's why they are gone in our time, the whole idea of mind control was abhorrent to the Observers."

"Ab..what?" asked True.

"Abhorrent? It means horrible, the worst of the worst."

"Mind control? You mean like whatever is in my head givin' me a headache?"

"Yes, I mean exactly like that."

"You can do that," countered True, "and you ain't Hawk."

"Yes, I know. But we never know. We may have some Hawk blood in our line somewhere. "

True sighed. "I gotta find her."

"Yes, you're right. She may be in danger. She may need us to….."

"Who may need you to what?"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Lillian's Folly – Chapter 2**_

**AN: I said in the first chapter that I used Cherokee and Welsh – I changed it to just use Irish. I'm going to pretend that the clan language is Irish – I hope everyone is ok with that. Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and followers. I greatly appreciate having the chance to write in this universe. I do have a favor of the readers, some of these chapter may contain discipline or spankings and if you don't like this then don't read the story. I'm tired of guest reviewers commenting on how horrible the discipline is in some stories, but I can't respond because they are guests. So, please don't read if it offends you, no one is twisting your arm to read these stories and to follow this particular story line, it just wouldn't be a True and Rhianna story without a few spankings.**

Our story continues:

"Who made need you to do what?" Chris asked standing in the doorway.

Rhianna and True looked up quickly. Rhianna thought to True, 'Let me answer.'

"I thought Lauren, may want us to help her during the summer. She had mentioned trying to put some math lesson plans together for the older kids." Rhianna lied smoothly. Well, it was perfectly plausible, True was a math whiz, so it could be true.

"Um, hmm." Chris said. He didn't believe that for a minute, but he didn't really have any reason not to.

Rhianna eyed her guardian, he didn't really look as if he believed her, but he didn't seem to want to make an issue of it. She hoped he never asked Lauren. One thing Chris didn't abide by was lying or skirting around the truth. That scenario always ended up with her backend being on fire.

"You girls finish your chores?"

Both girls nodded.

He glanced over at them, True smelled like a stable. "Go git a bath." Chris said as he sniffed the air. "Ya smell like the stable."

"Haha, you don't smell much better." True mumbled.

"Ya need an incentive to mind?" growled Chris.

"Aw, come on Chris, I just took one yesterday," whined True.

"Move it." Chris said pointing in the direction of the bath house.

True huffed. "I'm going. I'm going."

Chris smiled, "I expect to see you both clean and on time for supper." He waited a minute to make sure True was going to take a bath before he turned and left.

Rhianna rolled her eyes, "Honestly, True, why do you have to be so ornery, you know you smell and need a bath."

True grinned, "Well, it just wouldn't be me, if I didn't a least try. Now would it?"

"Imshee!" Rhianna smirked.

"Takes one to know one." True laughed. True grabbed clean clothes as she headed out the door. She turned and looked at Rhianna, "I really need to find her." She whispered.

"I know. I know. We can talk later tonight." Rhianna said laying a comforting hand on True's arm.

True went off for her bath and Rhianna sat in her room wondering how they were going to find Lily. Somehow she figured she was going to get in a lot of trouble. She shrugged, 'Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time and probably not the last either.' She thought.

Before they knew it, it was supper time. With Chris' warning of not being late, the girls raced to be at supper. The peacekeepers talked and carried on. However, the two girls were noticeably quiet. Josiah was the first to comment, "You two alright?" he asked.

Neither True or Rhianna even heard him or realized that he was talking to them.

Chris looked over at the girls, he didn't abide rudeness, but he realized that they weren't being rude, just that there minds were some where else. "Rhianna! True! Josiah's speaking to you."

Rhianna looked up, "Oh, I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

Josiah looked even more concerned, "Just asking of you're ok."

"Oh I'm find, I just have some things I'm trying to sort out in my mind," she smiled.

"Anything I can help with?" he persisted.

"No, just girl things." Rhianna said sweetly, knowing the mention of anything girly would shut up the men before you could say Jack Robinson.

Josiah immediately averted his eyes. Rhianna laughed to herself. Worked like a charm every time.

Chris cleared his throat. True still hadn't responded.

"True!" he growled.

"What?" she growled right back.

Chris rolled his eyes, "Watch your mouth little girl."

"Sorry." True said without one bit of remorse.

"Josiah's talkin' to ya."

"Oh," she looked toward Josiah, "What?" she asked irritably. That was enough for Chris. Her disrespect was just about sending him over the edge.

Josiah's eyebrows raised as Chris stood up and grabbed True by the back of her overalls and hauled her out of the chair. "Ya got better manners than that," as he landed a hard swat to her behind. "Git on up to bed, I've had enough a your lip today."

Rhianna shook her head at True. Sometimes True just didn't know when to shut up. "What the fuck.." True exploded, "I didn't do nuthin!"

Chris landed another swat, "I hear anythin' else from that mouth of yours, 'sides 'Yes sir' and I'm coming up in a minute an' give you a whippin'." He thundered leveling a glare at her.

She matched his glare, but wisely didn't say anything as she stomped up the stairs.

Chris sank back down to his seat, shaking his head. "Rhianna, ya know what's got into her?"

Rhianna hesitated. She didn't want to really give it away. She figured she and True were headed for the workhouse to check on Lily. "Um, well Uncle Chris, she started thinking about a little girl in the workhouse and she's upset thinking something is going to happen to her."

Chris stared at his "daughter." "What?" he asked.

"There was a little girl in the workhouse named Lily. Every kid at the workhouse had a younger one to take care of. Lily was True's." Rhianna explained. She wasn't about to tell Chris that Lily was probably from their time or at least closer to their time.

"Why all the sudden?" asked Josiah.

"I honestly don't know," said Rhianna carefully. "Somehow, True's just got the feeling something's wrong."

Chris shook his head.

"Chris, please don't be too upset. True feels guilty leaving Lily behind." Rhianna assured her guardian.

Chris sighed, "Figures Vin ain't here."

Rhianna smiled inwardly, thank goodness Chris was going to let it go. Chris stood up and excused himself, "'Scuse me, I got a little girl to deal with."

Rhianna panicked, "Please Uncle Chris," she pleaded.

"Calm yourself darlin', I'm just going to talk to her." He assured her.

Chris made his way up the stairs and opened True's door.

True looked up, to see the black clad peacekeeper.

"Ya ever thought a knockin'?" asked True scornfully.

"Ya ever thought that mouth of yours is gonna get your behind turnin' red?" Chris countered.

True swallowed. She didn't know why she couldn't reign that mouth of hers in. If she got a whipping from Chris, she was sure to get one from Vin when he got home.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"True?" asked Chris.

True looked up at him.

"Listen, Rhianna told me about Lily. Honey, you cain't be responsible for the world. You cain't be responsible for her. Your only 8, there's only so much you could have done."

Silent tears were falling down True's face.

Chris opened his arms as he knelt down in front of True. True flung herself into his strong arms. He picked her up and cradled her head to his shoulder as he sat down with her. "You don't understand," she mumbled into his shoulder.

Chris sighed as he went to sit down with her on the bed. He sat down and let her calm down a bit. He pulled back so he could look at her. "True, I know that your upset, but that ain't no reason to be rude and disrespectful. I'm lettin' today slide, but that's it, ya got me?"

True drew in a deep breath, "Yes sir, I got it."

Chris smiled as True slid off his lap, "Ya still goin' to bed early," he announced as he stood up.

"Aww…Chris," True whined.

"Night," said Chris as he stood to walk out of the room.

True smiled to herself, perfect, now she had time to plan her trek to find Lily.

Hundreds of miles away, Lily was asleep at the workhouse, she was in the throws of a dream:

_Lily looked around to see a rotunda surrounded by columns. She saw herself on the floor playing with dolls and a castle. The castle was beautiful, it was pristine. It was white and silver, all glowing and sparkling in the sunshine that streamed through the window. It had a drawbridge and all the little castle people, a princess, a queen, a king, guardsman painted gray with red. It even had a horse and carriage. Lily had never seen a real horse and carriage, just from the fairy tale books she had been read. Her mama read to her and even sometime her papa. The scene was bliss. It was the happiest time Lily could remember in her very short life._

"_Lillian?" she heard in her mind._

"_Mama?" she questioned._

"_Come to me luv." She heard. But she didn't hear it in the language she spoke now, it was in a strange language she didn't know, but she knew. She looked around but didn't see her mama. She thought hard and her mama was in her own personal rooms. She imagined herself there with her mama and as if by magic, she appeared in front of her mother._

_The high priestess laughed beside the queen. "Ah, my Queen, she is so very gifted." _

_The queen smiled, "Of course she is, she's my daughter, is she not," laughed the Queen._

_Lillian looked from the high priestess to her mother, her mother was the most beautiful person she had every seen in her life. The long red ringlets, encircled in a crown of gold, a long green brocade dress with a low neckline, where one could see the whiteness of the Queen's throat surround by a simple gold chain on which the most dazzling pendant hung, an emerald surrounded by sparkling diamonds. Lily had no idea, she was the spitting image of her mother._

"_Mama?" she asked._

"_It is time for your lessons, luv," her mother said gently._

"_I was playing," pouted Lily._

"_I know luv, but you are very gifted in the senses and you must learn to use them so that you will benefit all and hurt none."_

_Lily nodded, it was something her mother said all the time. She didn't know what "gifted" meant. She had no idea what her mother was talking about. All she knew at four years old is that it meant she must stop playing. "Mama," she started to whine._

_The Queen picked up her precocious daughter, "No, No, you must obey," her mother gently admonished her. The Queen placed her on the floor next to the priestess. "You go with Carolina and when you are done, you will have a story with me."_

"_Promise?" asked Lily in her head._

"_Promise." Her mother said giving her a soft pat on the behind._

Lily woke up with a smile on her face, she didn't realize it, but that was the last time she saw her mother alive. She didn't always wake up at this part, she sometimes woke up in a cold sweat, scared and unsure. This time, it was a happy memory.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lillian's Folly – Chapter 3**

**A/N: **Once again, I just want to thank you all for the story favorites and alerts and author favorite and alerts. I am very humbled to receive these.

True lay in her bed staring at the ceiling. She needed to figure out a way to get to the workhouse and check on Lily. Problem was, in this day and time, transportation was not the best. To her recollection, she had traveled over a week to get to Four Corners. Trying to get somewhere that was a week away seemed almost impossible. If she sneaked out and headed for the workhouse, one of the seven would surely catch up with her. That would probably result in the whipping of her life from Vin or Chris or both. She involuntarily shuddered, that was not high on her list of things to do. Then again, if she lit out at night and the peacekeepers didn't figure it out until the next morning at least she'd be hours ahead and if she took Gao, she'd be way far ahead. True smiled to herself, maybe she could figure it out after all. Maybe she'd be so far ahead, Vin and the peacekeepers couldn't catch her. True was settling in, when she heard a knock.

"True?" Rhianna asked knocking on the door.

True started to answer, when she heard heavy footsteps.

Rhianna yelped as a big hard hand connected with her bottom. "Ow!"

"What a ya doin'? Ya know ya ain't allowed to be in each other's rooms when one of ya's in trouble." Chris growled at her.

"Oh for heaven's sake Chris, I was just checking on her." Rhianna pouted.

"Ya talkin' back to me little girl?" Chris asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, I thought, um well it seemed, that , well…" Rhianna stuttered.

"Ya thought I gave her a whippin'? Is that it?"

Rhianna let out a sigh, "Well, yes."

"I done told ya I was jis gonna talk to her. And even if I did give her a whippin', you know ya ain't supposed to make her feel better with your abilities." Chris huffed.

"I know, I'm sorry, Chris, really." Rhianna pleaded with her eyes.

Chris sighed, "I luv ya, but ya gotta learn to mind better. Go on to bed, I'll be there in a minute." Chris said as he hugged her and turned her toward her room.

Rhianna leaned into his hug. "I love you, too," she whispered. She smiled to herself, getting sent to bed early was normally pretty annoying. But once, Chris came in and told her good night, she would be able to crawl out onto the roof and into True's room. Rhianna practically skipped to her room. Even though she was the more mature one, she could really act like a child sometimes and it was fun.

True snickered, she heard every word that when on outside her door. She glanced at her already open window. She knew that Rhianna would be climbing through that window after awhile. True planned in her head, the escape to the workhouse. She reasoned, that she and Rhianna could leave after midnight. Midnight was the last rounds the peacekeepers made at night. Plus she knew it was JD's turn to make rounds. He was so easy to get by, it was like taking candy from a baby. As True dreamed and schemed, time passed quickly. Before, she knew it, she was sound asleep on her bed, fully clothed and snoring softly. She didn't hear Chris come in to check on her. He chuckled softly to see their little spit fire sound asleep in her overalls. He gently slipped her out of her clothes and into her nightgown and tucked her under the covers.

"Goodnight, True," he whispered softly as he kissed her forehead.

Chris made his way wearily down the stairs.

"Our little angels asleep?" inquired Ezra.

Chris sunk into a chair. "Yep, thank God. I'll be glad when Vin gets back. Those two'd wear God himself out."

Ezra chuckled.

Rhianna lay on her bed looking out the window. It had been awhile since she'd been out on the roof smoking cheroots and drinking whiskey. But this was a special occasion, she figured by this time tomorrow, she and True would be off on an adventure. She sighed contentedly. She and True hadn't been on a real adventure in ages, certainly not since they'd come to Four Corners. She loosened the floor board that held her stash of Ezra's best whiskey, she grabbed the bottle and stepped out onto the roof. It was a beautiful night, you could see every star in the sky. Rhianna marveled how the stars hadn't seem to change much from now until her time. She took a swig of whiskey and her mind morphed into a great adventure that she and True had in her time.

_It was a hot summer's eve like this one. True and Rhianna would be working together again. Both of them loved working together. With growth inhibitors implanted, they still looked so young that most of the time no one even noticed them. They were dressed like beggar children. Clan markings were indistinguishable. True had enough mud and dirt on her to cover her markings that showed her to be a thief, more than once. Rhianna was sipping whiskey and smoking. "Are you ready, cousin?" she asked smiling at True._

_True smirked, "Ready for what? Taking the battle plans of the Azkai? That's like taking candy from a baby. Their so fuckin' stupid, they won't even know…."_

_Rhianna placed her arm on True, "Sshh, I hear the Observers…" Rhianna hissed._

_True and Rhianna sat back and said nothing as the Observers started to pass them. The Observers passed not even giving the little girls a second glance._

_Rhianna turned toward True, "You better watch your mouth, if Kieran heard you, you'd be in for it."_

_True snorted, "Well he ain't here. He ain't even close. So fuck off." She glared at her cousin._

"_Tsk! Tsk!" said a voice._

_True turned toward the voice. She was just about to tell the voice where to go or to shove it up… When she and Rhianna were both grabbed by the collars of their tunics. The girls were looking into the face of True's brother Kieran. True's words died on her lips. Her brother did not abide cussing. He was sure to beat her ass. With that thought he gave her a little shake. Damn! She forgot he could read her mind and she was still cussing._

"_What are you doing here?" True asked._

"_I finished my mission early and came back. Only you weren't in your bed and neither were you," he said facing Rhianna._

_The two girls looked as guilty as anybody could….._

Rhianna breathed in some smoke. She looked down and saw Ezra leaving to make the final rounds for the night. She hadn't realized she'd sat outside for so long. She didn't want Ezra to catch her outside, after all, the last time he caught her outside ended poorly for her. Ezra promised her unpleasant consequences if he ever caught her on the roof again. She sighed, well her talk with True was going to have to wait. She quickly scrambled back into her room. She quickly changed into her nightdress, sprayed a little violet toilet water around the room and crawled into her bed. Just in the nick of time because she heard Chris open the door to check on her. She pretended to be asleep.'

Chris took a look at his charge, she was fast asleep. He sighed contentedly. He thought for sure that he smelled violet toilet water, but he didn't think too much of it as he closed the door and headed for his own bed.

Lily drifted back into sleep, but this time the dream wasn't so pleasant.

_Lily was doing her lessons with Carolina, when a trumpet sounded. The trumpet meant trouble was in the castle. She looked at Carolina's face, the face of fear. Lily didn't really know what that meant, but it scared her right down to her toes. _

"_Lily, we must hide," whispered Carolina._

"_Why?"_

"_Please just do as I say," begged Carolina._

_Carolina looked frantically around the room for a place to hide. Behind, the bookcase was a secret room, and that room led to a passage right out of the castle to the fields. Carolina heard heavy footsteps and shouting as she quickly pulled the latch and the door slid open. She pushed Lily into the room and pulled the latch from the inside. She breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the door to the nursery open and a gruff voice say, "They are not here, sire."_

_Lily started to cry softly, "Where's mama? I want mama."_

_Carolina picked up Lily and hugged her tight, she feared the worst, she feared that her Queen had been slaughtered. "Ssh, ssh, little one. We must leave the castle."_

"_Mama?" asked Lily._

"_I'm sure your mother will find her way out of the castle and find us. She has great powers does she not?"_

_Lily sniffed and smiled, "Mama is the best, she can do anything." Lily said proudly._

_Carolina hugged Lily again, "Yes she can." Carolina breathed in and thought, 'she can only find us if she is alive to find us.' Carolina and the Queen had made a plan in case something like this ever happened. There had been grumblings in the other clans about how the Hawk clan had gotten way too powerful and that many of the talents had seemed to settle only on the people of the Hawk clan. The Hawks only married among themselves and not to other clans in attempt to keep the powers within the clan and to keep the clan pure. The King and Queen feared for their clan and especially for their little daughter. She was already showing so many talents, they feared for her safety._

_Carolina stopped her musings and looked at Lily. "We must go now," she said as she fled toward the passage that would lead them into the fields. When they reached the fields, Carolina led them to the woods._

"_I don't like the woods," Lily said tugging Carolina away. "I want to be with mama."_

"_No, no, don't think it, you will transport yourself there. It is too dangerous." Carolina admonished._

"_I want my mama!" Lily shouted petulantly and with that Lily disappeared. She reappeared in her mother's rooms. The shock of what she saw, left her speechless. Her mother lay in a pool of blood surrounded by strange men. Lily stood staring. For a moment, no one noticed her. She heard one say, "The Queen is dead, find the princess!"_

_Lily couldn't move as the strange men turned around to see the little princess just standing there. Just then Lily heard Carolina's voice in her head, "Lily come back to me at once!"_

_Galvanized by that voice, one that Lily very rarely disobeyed, she transported herself back to Carolina. She disappeared as quickly as she had come to the surprise of the man in the room. The head observer, Torin, glanced in disgust as the child disappeared right under his nose._

_Lily reappeared to Carolina._

Again Lily woke up, this time in a cold sweat. The dreams were getting more frequent and more scary. She didn't understand. She didn't know if it was true or just some terrible dream in her mind. Tears were streaming down her face. She looked out the window of the workhouse and saw the sun starting to rise. She realized it was time to get up anyway and that the older children would come to drag the little ones out of bed soon. She decided to go ahead and get up, to avoid getting swatted or worse by the other children. She surely missed True, she remembered True. But, she wasn't sure if True was just another dream or if in fact she was real.


	4. Chapter 4

Lillian's Folly – Chapter 4

**A/N – Thanks to Ashleyder for her kind of review of the beginning of this story. I'm sorry it took me so long to write another chapter. Life has been very complicated. But everyone in my house seems to be on the mend, so I should be able update a little quicker. Thanks to all ya'll who have favorite either me or this story. I am grateful.**

As the sun was rising at the workhouse, the sun was rising in Four Corners. True woke up as the sun light streamed into her room. She was just about to roll over and go back to bed, when her door opened and Chris stood in the doorway.

"Time to git up," he said.

True just ignored him.

"I know your awake, so ya may as well git up," he said smiling as leaned against the doorway.

"Go 'way," mumbled True.

"Ya best git up little girl. Josiah has some work over at the church, the fence needs white washin'."

"Ain't goin'," mumbled True.

"True, if I have to drag your sorry behind out of bed, your gonna be one sorry little girl." Chris warned.

"Only you would git me up at the ass-crack of dawn," she mumbled.

Chris grinned, "What was that?"

"Nothin', nothin'," True lied. "I'm gittin up."

"You and Rhianna need to go help Josiah. Then you can have the afternoon to yourselves." Chris informed her.

True's eyes opened wider, "Rhianna's gonna help?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nathan's going to the village to meet Vin, so he's not gonna need her."

"Ya promise, we can have the afternoon to go swimmin'?" she asked.

"Yep, iffin you do the work right the first time and I don't hear no complaints from Josiah, then ya can go swimmin' as long as your home 'afore supper." Chris said agreeably.

"Hot damn!" said True jumping out of bed. She and Rhianna would be together all day without anyone paying them much mind. Plenty of time to plan on how to get to Lily. She sighed, at least the voice was out of her head.

Chris shook his head at the cussing. Seems like True couldn't open her mouth for a minute without cussing. Josiah was going to have his hands full today. "Watch your mouth, you'll be at a church all day."

True just smiled at him and rolled her eyes.

"Ya hear me?" asked Chris.

"Yeah, yeah, watch my mouth," she repeated.

"Just see that ya do," he admonished as he closed the door and headed to Rhianna's room.

True jumped out of bed and rubbed her hands together. This was just about as good as it gets. She had a whole day to figure out a plan. Vin was still in the village and Nathan was going to meet Vin. They probably wouldn't be back for another day or two. That took care of two less sets of eyes worrying about where she was and what she was doing.

Meanwhile, Lily got out of bed and got herself dressed. The girl responsible for her, Martine was mean and ornery and almost as bad as the head of the workhouse, Mr. Pressler. She didn't want anyone having cause to strike her or punish her. She had made up her mind that she need to see if True was real or just a dream. As she started her way down the stairs, one of the older boys tripped her and laughed.

"What, the baby can't walk by herself?" he snickered.

Tears filled Lily's eyes. She wasn't going to cry. She just wasn't. She was so tired of all these mean people. She wanted to go back to her castle and her doll and her mama. She picked herself up and walked passed the boy wishing him to be in another room. She doesn't know exactly, but she looked and he was gone. She wondered if she had done it. She wasn't sure if he just left on his own. Lily wanted to cry. She didn't understand what was happening. She wasn't sure if she dreamed of True and the castle or was it real?

Just then, Martine walked by her and grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"Ow," Lily said rubbing her arm. "Why'd ya do that?"

"Come on you worthless brat, I ain't gonna stand around and git in trouble cuz you ain't eaten and done your chores." Martine sneered as she dragged Lily by the arm into the dining hall.

Lily sat down on the long wooden bench. There was a nasty bowl of porridge sitting in front of her. She didn't remember what she ate before she came to the workhouse, but it wasn't the nasty porridge. She dutifully ate the porridge. It would be the only thing she would get until supper and she was hungry. She downed the porridge as quickly as she could and went to start on her chores. She was suppose to help in the laundry. With more than 100 children in the workhouse, there was a great deal of laundry. She didn't actually mind. As long as she did her chores, nobody bothered her much.

Lily slipped into a daydream and she stirred the big pot of towels in a vat of water. She was remembering the dream. The one where she suddenly appeared in her mama's rooms. Sometimes she found herself in a place and wasn't sure how she got there. She wondered if it was like how she appeared in her mama's room. She didn't know how that worked or even if it was true. Just the other day, she was wishing she was hiding under bed, away from all the drudgery, holding her doll she remembered from the castle. Then all the sudden she was under her bed. She couldn't remember how she had gotten there. Her mind drifted to that day.

"Lily, Lily," called Martine. "Where the hell are ya brat?"

Lily heard Martine call, she was under her bed. What was she doing under here? How did she get here? She had just been in the laundry. Lily started to shake. She knew if Martine found her before she snuck back to the laundry, she get a beating. Lily started to cry softly. The harder she tried not to cry, the harder she cried. Suddenly, she felt a hand grab her arm and roughly pull her out from under the bed.

"What the hell? What are ya doin' under here? You best get your ass down to the laundry." Martine said as she slapped Lily across the face. Lily started to cry even harder. Martine grabbed her hair and bent down to her. "Stop that infernal bawlin' or I'll really give ya something to bawl about."

Lily nodded as she tried to dry up the tears as she tried to step away from Martine. Lily couldn't move, Martine still had her by the hair. "I'm tired of this shit, get back to the laundry and ya better not do this no more!" Martine yelled.

"Yes ma'am," Lily said with her head down.

Martine released her and shoved her toward the stair case. Luckily Lily was able to regain her balance as she raced down the stairs back toward the laundry. Lily vowed that very minute that she was going to find out if True was real and find her and if she wasn't real, well, Lily was just going to run away. Lily reached the laundry and found an older girl, maybe 14 or 15, she must be close to True's age. Her name was Ruby.

Ruby looked up. She saw Lily making her back into the room. That's funny, Ruby had been working by the door and didn't even see Lily leave. Ruby just shook her head. That little girl was so strange. When she arrived at the workhouse, she didn't even speak English. Nobody knew what she was saying. She'd been wearing strange clothes. She wasn't sure but she had heard whispers that Lily had some strange markings on her. Lily never let anyone see her without her clothes. The children at the workhouse just washed up in a bucket. They never had a full bath. She took another look at Lily, she had a handprint on her face. "Damn," thought Ruby. 'That bitch, Martine, again.'

"Heh, little one," said Ruby. "You o.k.?"

Lily looked at her surprised.

Ruby pointed to her own cheek. "Martine?" she asked.

Lily nodded her head sadly.

"What'd ya do this time?" she asked.

"Nothin'!" said Lily emphatically.

Ruby smiled as she held her hand out to Lily and pulled her into a hug. Ruby was the only person in the whole world who was nice to her. "Ya must have done something, ya weren't in the laundry where ya supposed to be."

"I was under my bed," whispered Lily.

"Ya was under ya bed? Whatever for?" asked Ruby surprised.

"I don't know. I just wanted to be there and I just was," Lily said.

Ruby shook her head, "Don't know how ya got past me. But you best keep your little behind here iffin you don't want no beatin'. Martine just looks for reasons to be beatin' on ya."

Lily just stood there, twirling her apron in her hand.

Ruby just shook her head. "Ok? Ya hear me?"

Lily nodded her head. Ruby sighed. "Come on, you can help me fold, ok?"

"Kay.." said Lily.

The girls worked in silence for a few minutes. "Umm….Ruby?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask ya somethin'?"

"Sure," Ruby nodded as she reached for another towel.

"It's about when I was real little, when I came here." Lily started nervously.

Ruby had to laugh at that, 'when she was real little', she was only around 5. No one knew for sure. Lily had just appeared one day. No one knew who she was or how she got there. She didn't speak English. All they were able to figure out was that her name was Lily. Mr. Pressler figured her parents couldn't afford to keep her, so they just dumped her at the work house. "Yeah, what'd about it?"

"I remember a girl named True. Was there a girl named True?" she asked softly.

Ruby looked surprised. That was the most she had ever heard Lily say at once in the whole time she'd been at the workhouse. "Uh, yeah True took care of you for a little while."

Lily felt a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders. True was real! Maybe the other things she remembered were real, too. Maybe she wasn't pretending. "Where's she?"

"Don't know. She was here one day and gone the next. Nobody knows. Mr. Pressler was really mad. I think she ran away, but no one really knows."

"How come she run away?" asked Lily curiously.

Ruby shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe she thought she had a family and went to find them. Or maybe she just couldn't stand it here. From what I remember, she was always in trouble. Always cussing, always getting' whipped."

"What's cussin?" Lily wanted to know.

Ruby was startled, "Uh…, it's bad word and you don't need to knowin' nothin' about no cussin'."

"I wondered how she runned away?" Lily asked thoughtfully.

"I don't know, she probably hitched a ride on a wagon. There ain't much around here. You'd have to ride or walk a really long time to get anywhere. Why you askin' all this about her anyway. I'm surprised you even remember her."

Lily just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, I was just rememberin'."

As Chris left True's room, he headed into Rhianna's room. He walked over to her and shook her shoulder. "Come on darlin'. Time to get up."

Rhianna groaned, "Ugh, really Chris, it's way too early and it's summer vacation."

Chris grinned, "Yep and ya going over to the church and help Josiah with paintin' the fence around the church yard. So wear somethin' that ya can get dirty."

Rhianna put the pillow over her head. "Aww…Chris," she whined, "Manual labor, really, why can't I help Nathan in the clinic?"

Chris grinned even bigger. Rhianna hated getting dirty, unlike her cousin who was constantly in need of a bath. The boys always teased True that she could find mud in a drought. "Come on Nathan is going to the village to meet Vin and Josiah needs the help. I told True if ya'll do a good job the first time and I don't hear no complaints from Josiah, ya'll can go swimmin' afterwords."

Rhianna yawned dramatically, "Ok."

Chris raised his eyebrows, that was far too easy.


End file.
